Watch: Careers in UK aid and development

Hiring in the U.K. aid and development space has been significantly impacted following the creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and cuts to the official development assistance budget. During a conversation with Devex, recruiters from Palladium, Chemonics, and Crown Agents agreed that the slow-down in the bid pipeline means FCDO is doing more pre-position activity for projects and roles which are yet to be approved. Given the uncertainty of U.K. aid, implementers are also looking to diversify their funding models and the donors they work with. This will require staff to be agile and adapt to working with different clients while also creating opportunities for professionals that don’t fit the traditional development profile and bring specific expertise from other sectors. The recruitment experts discuss how the FCO-DFID merger has impacted the day-to-day hiring needs of implementers, why the job market favors consultants, and what the diversification of partners means for professionals looking to work in global development. Highlights from this event include: • Why recruiters are focusing on pre-positioning activity. • How the pandemic has pushed the sector to move away from the “fly-in, fly-out” model and is creating more opportunities for field-based experts. • Recommendations for how junior professionals can gain experience, even in a tough job market. • An overview of what technical expertise will be in-demand. • Advice for finding consulting opportunities and making sure your profile can be found easily by recruiters. Speakers: Eamon Doyle, talent acquisition manager at Palladium Benjamin Salt, recruitment director at Chemonics Chris Grogan, talent acquisition manager at Crown Agents Moderator: Emma Smith, reporter, Devex